Master Sword
]] The , also known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", and the "sword that seals the darkness" is a magic sword that often acts as the ultimate weapon for Link as the chosen hero to defeat Ganon and a key to the Sacred Realm. First introduced in ''A Link To The Past, it has the power to "repel evil", which enables it to overcome powerful dark magic and evil beings and keep them from using the sword. In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the blade originally began as the Goddess Sword, which has a sentient female avatar named Fi integrated into it. Eventually, the Goddess Sword transforms into its current state after being infused with the Three Sacred Flames, with Fi's spirit form ceasing to be once the Master Sword absorbs Demise's remains.E3 2010: Nintendo Developer Roundtable Live Blog. IGN, June 15, 2010. The sword traditionally rests in sacrosanct locations indigenous to Hyrule, such as the Temple of Time or the Lost Woods. Similar to Arthurian legend, the Master Sword is often obtained by pulling it from a stone pedestal. The sword is often not at full power, leading it to need to be "recharged" in some way, or have its power increased beyond its standard level to fight Ganon. There are some situations when the blade, already at full power, can be further improved; in A Link to the Past, it was tempered to the Tempered Sword. It can later be upgraded to the Golden Sword. Similarly, in Twilight Princess, the sword's power is increased by the two Sols in the Palace of Twilight. The Wind Waker establishes that the sword needs the power of two sages praying to the gods to keep its powers, or else it will no longer be able to prevent an evil person from gaining the Triforce.The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, King of Red Lions: The fact that the Master Sword lost the power to repel evil suggests to me that something has happened to the sages who infused the blade with the gods’ power. The sages should be in Hyrule... in the Wind Temple to the north and the Earth Temple to the south, praying to the gods. In Breath of the Wild the Master Sword is the only unbreakable weapon in the game, though if it is used too often the sword's power needs to be recharged becoming temporarily unusable. The sword is located in the Korok Forest, which Link can only access by going through the Lost Woods. Zelda moved it there to be guarded by the Great Deku Tree and to protect knowledge of its location from Calamity Ganon. Link can travel to the Korok Forest at any point after receiving the Paraglider, though he can only remove the sword after obtaining 13 or more Heart Containers, as removing it drains Link's hearts as a way to test his strength. In addition to its unbreakability, Link can also fire Sword Beams while he is at full health. The Master Sword has a base damage of 30 but its true power glows when in the presence of pools of Calamity Ganon's Malice, Cursed Enemies, and all of Calamity Ganon's various forms; its durability is greatly increased in this state. It can later be enhanced to 60 damage once completing the "trial of the sword" side quest. Once removed, Link sees a vision of Zelda entrusting the Master Sword to the protection of the Great Deku Tree 100 years ago. During her conversation with him, Princess Zelda reveals that the sword spoke to her (which is implied to be Fi, whose consciousness apparently still exists within the sword though unable to manifest her spirit form) and told her that her destiny was not finished and that she still had something she must do, leading to Princess Zelda's sealing Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle for 100 years while Link slept. The weapon's in-game description reveals that the sword is delighted to be in Link's possession, echoing Fi's words at the end of Skyward Sword. 100 years after Calamity Ganon was sealed in Hyrule Castle, the sword became known across Hyrule as the Sword that Seals the Darkness and is sought by several travelers Link encounters despite the fact that only the chosen hero can wield its power. The Master Sword is a double-edged one-handed sword. The blade cross-section is hexagonal with no fuller. On the flats of the blade near the hilt is a Triforce symbol, etched into the steel or emblazoned in gold. It has a blue or purple curved crossguard in the shape of a pair of wings with a small yellow jewel where it meets the hilt. The hilt is often padded red with a non-ornate blue pommel. Since The Wind Waker, the Master Sword's blade glows white when it is revived by the sages in the mid-game. In Breath of the Wild, this glow represents the Master Sword's true power. Breath of the Wild is the first game to depict the blade showing signs of wear and rust, when Zelda places it in its pedestal in Korok Forest, though 100 years later the Master Sword is shown to have been restored to its undamaged state. Nintendo Power listed the Master Sword as one of the best weapons in gaming: citing that it is more than just a powerful sword, but also integral to Link's adventures and development as a character. References Category:The Legend of Zelda Category:Video game items Category:Fictional swords